Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-08-25
CHIEF JUSTICE WAITE
fAoldents Of His Eaeiy Career and I
appointment to the 0sueh.

f.s'dsnts Of HI. E.riy Career and HIS
Appointment to the 0saeh.
Speaking of Judge Waite's early
days at Toledo, / had = long chat the
other day with ex-Congressman Hill.
Of Defiance. about the Chief Justice.
''When did you first meet Judge
Waite?' 1 asked.
1T was when I was . green Young
lawyer" replied Hill. Il had a case
in which Judge Waite, then q noted
Toledo lawyer, was employed BY the
opposite side. Waite had already
made a great reputation. and APP
preached the case with fear and trem-
bling. We took the testimony to-
gether in private, and after we had it
all before us, before we had submitted
it to the Judge. Mr.. Waite asked me to
go over and lunch with him. During
our lunch he told me that he thought
we could settle that case just as well
as Judge Latty, and asked me Il l
would be willing for him to fix the
terms of settlement. l replied that
that was rather a strange method Of
procedure and I would like to know
how he would settle it first. He then
made plain statement of the justice
of the case. and proposed settlement
in accordance with this. His idea rs to
how the case should be settled was ex-
actly the same rs mine, and l could not
have asked for better treatment l
don't believe Waite ever advocated the
cause of dishonest client and l don't
think he would have taken a case
which he thought contrary to justice.
He might have made a fortune at his
law had he charged the ordinary fees.
for he had very large practice. He
was not very rich when he was elected
Chief Justice. and don't imagine he
Is what would be called wealthy now.
He made one large fee that | know OF,
and that was $40. 900 which he received
for his services in connection with the
Atlantic & Great Western railroad
cases. He has son who is lawyer in
Toledo, and his daughter, Miss Mary.
is very accomplished young lady"
Waite was son of the Chief Justice
of Connecticut. He had been born at
Lyme, educated at Yale III the same
class with William NJ. Evarts, studied
law with his father and during the
term of Martin Van Buren, had come
West to Ohio to practice. lie soon
jumped into big business, but he
lived we'll and did not save much mon
ey, because, as Representative Hill
says, he charged too little for his serv-
ices. For the writing of brief ut the
request of the Defiance County Com
missioners in case involving Sl5. 900.
Hill says he charged only so. His
brief settled the case, and had it been
written by other lawyers of equal note
the charge would have been $1,000 in
stead of $50 Waite's first case in De-
fiance County was tried shortly after
his admission to the bar. The court
was held in the second story of Il build
NC in Defiance. which still stands. and
Waite was terribly worsted by a young
man who had more voice than brains,
and who now lives at Defiance. an I'M
Known and not very prosperous old
man. Waite was once a member OF
the Ohio State Legislature. He also
declined a position on the Ohio SUI
preme bench, and Grant sent him in
come ction with his old classmate,
William NJ. Evarts, Us one of the coun-
sci of the Geneva arbitration.
He was given the appointment of
Chix Justice of the Supreme Court
without having asked for it and hav-
ing no idea that it would be rendered
him. Representative Hill tells me
how the matter was first called to
Grants attention. and of u little meet
ing at Toledo, which secured Waite
the appointment Grant was travel
ing over the United States, and when
he came to Toledo reception WAS
prepared for him. The committee on
arrangements was composed of Waitc's
friends, and thsy were anxious that
Grant should appoint Waite to his
present position. They said nothing.
however. snd had Waite make the adj
dress of the occasion. He did this in
mastery manner. talking to Grant
rs became his Office. but not overflow
ing with the nauseous adulation which
was so common to Grants receptions
at that time. Grant was delighted
with the effort. He had known of
Waite somewhat in connection with
Evarts. He knew him to be man of
the utmost probity. and of no political
aspirations He made inquiries about
him. and concluded that he was the
proper man to take the place left va
cant by Ciief-Justice Chase. He APP
pointed Waite. and no better choice
was ever made for such a position.
Waite accepted the position. and I un-
derstand that he shows no indications
of intending to retire from it now"
His home in Washington is wide
brown stone building of three or four
stories, on street, between fourteenth
and fifteenth. H lives we'll and
often gives dinners to his fellow judges
and the other noted people Of WASH